An Alternate Trek

[Lindseyman]

Broadcast dates for Series 7

The episodes were again shown on different days of the week depending on the ITV region except an agreement was reached that the last episode would be shown at the same time in all regions. The agreed dates were as follows
Week Beginning Sat 3rd Jan, 10th Jan, 17th Jan, 24th Jan, 31st Jan, 7th Feb, 14th Feb, 21st Feb, 28th Feb, 7th Mar, 14th Mar, 21st Mar.
The last episode of Star Trek was to be a double length episode broadcast on Saturday 28th March 1970 at 7:30pm.

 

[Lindseyman]

A New Start Broadcast Week beginning Sat 3rd January 1970

Mission date 1106.5, it is a year since the destruction of CSS Gandhi and the aftermath has taken time to sort out. Many of the senior crew of the Erebus have been transferred to other ships to provide a kernel of experienced crew.

Spock has been given command of the CSS S’tonn and has taken M’Beke to be his Chief Medical Officer. McKenzie has been promoted to be Second Officer of the CSS Frobisher and both Holmes and Stein have been transferred to the CSS Peary to be Chief and Second Scientific Officers. Scotty was also offered the command of a ship but turned it down as he wanted to stay as Chief Engineer. He had a long “discussion” with Fleet Command but in the end they accepted his decision especially as Fynely had been transferred to Medical Central and they did not want to remove all Erebus’ senior staff.

As a result there are several new crewmembers. The new Chief Medical Officer is a Vulcanian Commander S’tarr (Anthony Nicholls) and the new Chief Scientific Officer is Lieutenant Commander John Smith (Tom Baker). There is a new Helmsman Lieutenant Commander Rafiq (Saeed Jaffrey). Most importantly there is a new first Officer Commander Albert Sanford (Harry H Corbett). His is meant to be a temporary appointment to give him actual command experience of a ship before being given a ship of his own (most of Sanford’s career had been spent in the administrative parts of the Fleet).

The Erebus has arrived in the H’aytyan System. There are strange signals coming from the apparently lifeless planet H’aytyan VII. Russell (overriding Sanford’s objections), Travis, and crew member Fyfe are sent down to explore the surface. The ship soon loses contact with Russell and Travis; Fyfe is transported back to the ship, but falls from the platform dead. His lifeless body emits an eerie voice, telling the shocked transporter crew that the Erebus is cursed and must leave the planet immediately, or everyone will die.

Sanford, despite Scotty’s objections (it leaves him in charge!), beams down with Science Officer Smith, together with Blamire and a security team, to search for the missing crewmen. The landing party comes upon three apparitions that appear as witches, who warn the landing team not to proceed any further. The team ignores the warnings and discovers what appears to be a medieval castle.

Upon entering the castle, the landing party comes across a black cat that wears a sparkling diamond pendant. As they follow the cat, the floor collapses, and the fall knocks them out. When they come to, they find themselves held in irons in a dungeon. Blamire manages to slip his manacles and proceeds to free the others. Whilst they are freeing Smith, Russell and Travis appear, but they seem to be controlled by an unknown force. The security men attempt to overcome them and find strange earpieces but Sanford finds himself teleported to another part of the castle, where he encounters a black robed man, Samde (guest star Denholm Elliott) , and the black cat, whom he appears to consult for advice. Sanford questions Samde about why previous surveys of H’aytyan VII indicated no life on the planet. Samde replies that he is not a native of the planet.

The cat leaves the room, and Samde's beautiful colleague, Marynette (guest star Shirley Eaton), soon appears. She wears a diamond pendant, identical to the cat's, around her neck. When Sanford demands that Sanford and Travis be released, Marynette signals and to Russell’s horror all the crew are now under her control. She also dangles a miniature model of the Erebus over a lit candle, and the crew of the real Erebus reports a rapid rise in hull temperature. Sanford reluctantly surrenders and offers to cooperate.

Samede places the "voodoo model" of the ship in a crystal cube, where the sensors aboard the real Erebus show the ship to be encased in an impenetrable force field. Sanford is led back to the dungeon. Marynette takes an interest in Sanford and changes into different attractive forms to test his emotions. She tells Sanford that she and Samede are explorers from another galaxy. They wield their power through a device called a transmuter, which gives them control over matter. Marynette decides that Sanford is using her and becomes angry, sending him back to the dungeon.

Samede comes to free Sanford, telling him that he has released the ship, and urges him to leave immediately, as he can no longer keep Marynette under control. Marynette discovers Samede's realignment, changes herself into a giant cat, and attacks him. Samede releases his sceptre and Sanford picks it up, guessing it to be the transmuter. Sanford tells Marynette that he has the transmuter, and he destroys it when Marynette threatens him with a phaser. The castle disappears, and the others return to normal, the earpieces have disappeared. Looking down at a nearby rock, they spot two tiny black and yellow creatures, which are Samede's and Marynette's true forms. Unable to survive without their transmuter, the two creatures die and disintegrate.

 

[Lindseyman]

Mitosis Broadcast Week beginning Sat 10th 1970

Mission date 1231.7 the Erebus has entered the Sabaroff system. A survey done in the early days of the Commonwealth indicated that there was a civilisation on Sabaroff III that was on the cusp of discovering jump technology. The Commonwealth decided to leave them alone to make first contact but no such contact has been made. So the Erebus has been ordered to make a surreptitious survey of the system to see what is happening. The newly promoted Lieutenant Colt receives a garbled distress call, but all she can make out that billions of people are dying for no apparent reason on Pevnee (what the inhabitants call Sabaroff III). Suddenly, the signal is gone and there seems to be no signs of life on Pevnee.

Smith comes to the bridge just as Colt announces she has lost contact with the Fleet and the Navy. Russell has Smith scan a dark ominous form that appears on the main view screen near Pevnee. Smith reports it is some kind of energy turbulence; probably responsible for the death of the local inhabitants. Russell launches a sensor probe into the void. Suddenly a painful, high pitched noise fills the ship that renders half the crew sickened or faint.

Sensor scans from the probe reveal nothing, so Russell orders the ship to get in closer. When it does, the piercing sound returns and all the stars disappear from the main view screen. The ship is now in a desolate void of nothingness. Dr. S’tarr then reports that the crew are getting worse and it appears everyone seems to be dying. Smith surmises that the ship has crossed some kind of negative energy boundary where their physical properties cannot exist. All ship's energy, as well as the crew's life force, is beginning to be slowly drained away.

Russell orders full reverse, but the ship moves forward deeper into the void. If forward thrust is applied the ship slows down. Scotty frantically tinkers with controls to give the ship the power it needs, but nothing seems to respond.

The huge expenditure of ship's energy attracts what appears to be a 1,000-mile wide amoeba, which appears on the main screen. Russell launches another sensor probe which reveals the creature is protoplasmic in nature. S’tarr believes it is a massive single-celled entity that feeds off raw energy but he needs more data to confirm this.

Sanford decides to get the information S’tarr needs and requests to pilot a shuttlecraft in closer to the creature. Russell reluctantly accepts Sanford's request and allows him to launch. He pilots the shuttle up to the creature and penetrates the outer skin, then makes his way toward the cell's nucleus. Sanford transmits data and keeps a log of his progress during the journey. He believes the creature may be ready to reproduce and suggests it can be destroyed from the inside, but his details become garbled and then cuts off.

Smith and S’tarr determine that if the creature begins to reproduce, it will spread rapidly and pose a serious threat to the galaxy. They must do something now, but the Erebus only has an hour left until all energy is expended. As Russell, Smith and S’tarr meet together to discuss various strategies, Russell suddenly realizes that if various activities in the zone have an opposite effect, then using antimatter on the organism should kill it, but realizes the Erebus will have to journey into the creature.

Russell takes the Erebus into the cell's body to plant a bomb within the creature that will destroy it. Since the thing has negative energy, Russell orders Scotty to prepare an antimatter bomb with a timer set for a seven-minute delay. The bomb is fired into the cell's nucleus and the Erebus backs out using what little power remains. With seconds remaining, Sanford's shuttle is finally located and Russell tells Scotty to retrieve it in a tractor beam. With power levels nearly exhausted, the ship makes its way out of the creature just as the bomb explodes. The creature is annihilated, and the shock throws both the Erebus and the shuttle back into normal space. Both ships survive with only slight damage and Sanford returns his craft to the ship.

NOTE: Yes this is TTL's version of "The Immunity Syndrome". Some things stay the same

 

[Lindseyman]

Lab Rats Broadcast Week Beginning Sat 17th January 1970

Mission date 1325.9 the Erebus is in orbit around Brashear IV a pleasant although seemingly uninhabited world. Several of the Erebus crew members are recently having difficulty sleeping or have lost track of time, and find themselves having strange emotional responses to normal objects. The affected crew realize they have had common experiences, and with S’tarr’s help collectively reconstruct and refine their fragmented memories and impressions of the events. Their combined efforts describe a device like an operating table in a dark room filled with mysterious noises. They come to the conclusion that they have all been to a similar place.

S’tarr examines them, finding evidence of sedation as well as subtle changes to their bodies, such as a microscopic misalignment of the bones in Travis’ arm, indicating it has been severed and then reattached. They realize they are being abducted from the ship to be experimented on. When they wonder if this is happening to other crew members as well, they ask the ship's computer to list any missing members and find that two other crew members are currently missing. One soon reappears in his cabin, but dies shortly after he is found, his blood having been transformed into water.

Scotty and Smith also discover particle emissions in one of the hanger bays, creating an expanding subspace rift which threatens to breach the hull. They devise a method to counter the emissions and close the rift, but they need a way to trace the emissions to the source. Travis volunteers, as he has been taken several nights in a row. S’tarr injects him with a stimulant intended to counteract the sedative his captors are using, and he carries a tracking device which can be detected from the Erebus when he is taken. Travis is again taken that night and finds himself in a strange environment on an operating table, near the other missing crew member, surrounded by busy aliens.

Meanwhile, the rift continues to expand, and Russell orders Scotty to begin the attempt to close it. Travis pretends to be unconscious until the aliens are distracted by the now fluctuating rift. He frees himself, picks up the other crew member, and jumps through the rift which is now large enough for them to pass through. They appear on the planet’s surface. Smith picks up Travis’ tracking device and beams Travis and the other crew member back on board.

Scotty is gradually closing the rift on the Erebus but the aliens manage to send a brief energy pulse through at the last second, which disappears through the Erebus hull and into space. Russell wonders if the pulse is a probe sent by the aliens attempting to communicate with the Erebus, but Travis, noting their methods which resulted in the death of one of the crew, suspects their motives are less benign.

Travis is proved correct when the Erebus is suddenly hit by a massive energy discharge from the planet. Many systems are taken off line and Scotty and his engineering crew struggle to restore power. Many rifts begin to appear all over the ship. Luckily there are enough systems left that Smith is able to trace the discharge to a point on the planet’s surface. The aliens are no longer bothering to hide from the Erebus’ sensors. There is just enough power left for Rafiq and D’Alembert to aim and fire the phasers. They score a direct hit on the installation and the rifts suddenly close. As there are also no more energy discharges Sanford suggests that they have at least disabled the weapon.

Russell orders the Erebus away from Brashear IV and it limps towards the jump point as Scotty makes repairs.

 

[Lindseyman]

Voyager IV Broadcast Week beginning Sat 24th Jan 1970

Mission date 1401.7 the Erebus is surveying the Lalla system. Suddenly Smith at the science station gives a start as does Colt at communications. They have both picked up a signal that would seem to come from an old Earth probe Voyager IV. There is one snag Voyager IV has pride of place in the Smithsonian annexe on Cascadia (it discovered the planet and was recovered when the planet was settled). Intrigued and a little worried Russell orders an investigation.

They track the signal to Lalla III that seems to be suffering from a prolonged nuclear winter. Smith discovers the orbital part of the probe and they beam it on board. An investigation of the probe would indeed seem to indicate that it is Voyager IV but the insignia and lettering is wrong and it seems that it is built from materials not from Earth! Smith’s investigation of the computers finds discrepancies in the programming from those on the Voyager IV at Cascadia. Instead of beaming its signals back Earth it is supposed to send its signals back another part of the Milky Way!

“We’ve found evidence of yet another “Earth”.” says Smith at a staff briefing.

“It would seem to be at a similar stage of development as ours in the late 21st century. “I would expect that a contact ship will appear here in the next few years especially as the records in the probe seem to indicate that Lalla III is very Earth like and would be suitable for colonisation except there is also evidence of a thriving civilisation on the planet.”

“That civilisation seems to have had its equivalent of one of the later World Wars quite recently given the present climate” adds Sanford.

“I wonder what caused it.”

“Well the information in the orbiter would seem to indicate a late 20th century level of development. So it is not too hard to imagine what happened. However there are signs of antimatter damage as well. I wonder if they tried to dismantle the lander when investigating it. Voyager IV did have early antimatter engines. A twentieth century level technician messing with the one on the lander could cause all sorts of devastation.”

Then Scotty paused and added

“It would be like me tampering with that Time Portal on the Guardian’s planet. I shudder to think what could happen.”

D’Alembert signals from the bridge

“Sir we’ve found debris that is consistent with the probe in a crater on the planet’s surface. The Antimatter effects are strongest there.”

“Well that seems to answer your question” Russell says to Sanford.

“Take a landing craft down and see what you can find.”

Sanford nods and a short while later he, Travis and a security team and Smith take the Newton down to the coordinates of the debris. They find pieces of the probe, but before investigating further, Smith is kidnapped by humanoid beings. The others return to the Newton where they are again attacked. They manage to one of their attackers, but they are then attacked by anti-matter weapons. Sanford orders the Newton to return to Erebus as they cannot survive the barrage, with plans to return for Smith.

Back on the Erebus, S’tarr treats the humanoid to consciousness. He states he is Tremas (guest star Roger Delgado), one of the survivors of the population, and reports that when Voyager IV landed on the planet, some of the population used the knowledge improperly, with the current nuclear winter caused by a failure in an anti-matter containment grid.

Tremas warns that Smith is likely being held by Gumiij, the leader of a group of survivors that have come to despise humans believing humans created the dilemma on the planet and that the Erebus is now here to conquer them. S’tarr is able to cure Tremas (Commonwealth medicine is able to cure most sorts of Radiation sickness).

Scotty suggests that they can actually clear the debris in the atmosphere by using their phasers at very low power and on a wide spread. Over the course of a decade the planet would then return to pre accident temperatures although plant and animal life would of course take longer to recover.

Russell makes contact with Gumiij (guest star Jon Pertwee) to negotiate. Gumiij demands that the Erebus helps to transfer the remaining population to a safe planet, a process that will take at least three years. Russell believes this impossible, and instead offers to provide food and medicine for release of Smith. Gumiij agrees, allowing Smith to be beamed back to the ship, but just as the transporter beam starts, Gumiij shoots Smith, almost fatally wounding him.

Tremas realizes they may need someone besides Gumiij to speak for his people, and works with the Erebus crew to develop a plan. They successfully infiltrate Gumiij’s base, and incapacitate Gumiij. Tremas takes over leadership from Gumiij, explaining Erebus's plan to restore their planet's environment.

On Tremas’ signal, they fire the phasers that will clear the atmosphere and hence restore the planet. The clearing causes massive storms, frightening Gumiij into a panic and causing him to try to initiate the planetary defence systems which will render the reaction null. Tremas and his people stop him in time. After the storms have subsided, Tremas and his people look outside onto a beautiful sunny day, the signs of nuclear winter eradicated.

Tremas signals Russell and thanks him for their help especially as it was not their probe that had caused the disaster. Indeed Tremas adds that they cannot even blame the people who sent the probe as it was his people investigating it that caused the nuclear winter. Russell acknowledges Tremas’ gracious statement and wishes him good luck. He also signals the Commonwealth suggesting that a vessel is kept on station near the system’s jump point. At some time soon the other Earth will send a ship to investigate Lalla III.

 

[Lindseyman]

A Warning Broadcast Week beginning Sat 31st Jan 1970

Mission date 1478.3 the Erebus is exploring the Airy system. Taking advantage of the fact that so far it is just a routine mapping assignment Sanford is off-ship testing some new autopilot technology designed by Scotty on the Newton. It is supposed to be more responsive to dangers than the standard Fleet autopilot and so far has exceeded expectations. However these are the first tests by a crewman without a top level pilots training as Scotty wishes to see if it works with a “normal” crewman. Sanford volunteered, his stock is rising with the crew of the Erebus as they realise that he is seeking to overcome the difficulties caused by him being a “desk jockey” for much of his career. Without warning, the autopilot starts to act erratically and despite his best intentions and Scotty trying to shut it down remotely the Newton crash lands on one of the moons of Airy V (a gas giant).

Fortunately this moon is habitable which is just as well as most of the main systems are damaged and main power has been lost, he is soon forced to crash-land on one of the planet's many moons. Sanford survives the crash with only bumps and bruises, and despite his lack of experience tries to repair the communications systems with the help of a partially functioning computer. Whilst seeking a source of fresh water Sanford realises that he is not alone, however, and when returning to the Newton is ambushed by a Tellurian Schmidt (guest star Helmut Fischer), who has also crashed on the moon. After taking each other hostage, a truce of sorts occurs as they both realize that surviving is their main goal.

Meanwhile, having lost contact with the Newton, the Erebus commences a search of the area. They are soon intercepted by the KSS Revanche which is now captained by Voster (special guest star Michael Billington), who claims that this region is part of the Tellurian Empire. He insists that the Erebus immediately set course out of the system. However he is persuaded by Russell to agree to a combined search of the sixty-two moons - it seems the Revanche has lost one of its shuttlecraft as well.

Finally, Schmidt is able to use the surviving technology from both crashed to get the transmitter working (he is luckily an engineer), managing to contact both the Erebus and the Revanche. To complicate matters, Airy V is slowly rising, and the radiation on the moon is becoming reaching lethal levels. Moreover, since the moon's atmosphere interferes with the shuttle pods' power systems, the survivors will have to be beamed up. However the Revanche’s transporters are not powerful enough to do this through the increasing radiation levels so the Erebus will have to beam the survivors up. But Schmidt, who as an engineer is very aware of the shortcomings of the transporters on the Revanche refuses to believe that the Erebus’ transporters will succeed and refuses.

Sanford won't abandon his new friend so Voster then launches one of the Revanche’s shuttles which has been modified to function in these radiation levels. Sanford and Schmidt are rescued and Sanford is beamed back to the Erebus. Voster then signals Russell and confides in him that the political situation in the Empire is worsening. The old emperor is dying and his son has died in mysterious circumstances leaving his grandson, who has very old fashioned views about all non-Tellurians as the heir. Voster expects Wilhelm to be Emperor within a year and fears for the growing if strained friendship between the Empire and the Commonwealth. In fact Voster predicts that within a few years if Wilhelm and his allies succeed in their aims he expects that they will be at war!

Russell thanks Voster for his warning and the Erebus leaves the system.

 

[Lindseyman]

Any Sufficiently Advanced.. Broadcast Week beginning Sat 7th February 1970

Mission date 1501.4 the Erebus is heading to CSS Runymede for resupply and some much needed rest and relaxation when it is diverted to the Goryu system, specifically Goryu III which is known to its inhabitants as Venexia and has a civilisation roughly on a par with the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth representative on the planet has reported that the Venexian population is in a state of panic because they are convinced that their world will soon end.

When the Erebus arrives, they beam up the representative, Charles A Clarke (guest star Ray Barrett) who brings them up to date: a thousand years ago, according to Venexian history, the population entered a Faustian deal with Cerelyan, their mythology's devil. In exchange for ending wars and restoring the ecological balance, and improving their heavily polluted planet, the population would become the personal slaves of Cerelyan one thousand years later. As the millennium is about to come to a close, the planet has recently begun experiencing mild earthquakes as well as seeing images of Cerelyan in the skies. These were said to be signs of her arrival.

As Russell and Smith discuss the matter with the Venexian leader (guest star John Phillips), a woman appears in the chamber, announcing herself as Cerelyan (guest star Francesca Annis). She proves her identity by starting an earthquake at will, and transforming into both the Christian and then the Klingon devil. Cerelyan states that she has come to claim the planet. Russell is instantly suspicious and orders Smith to examine the contract that supposedly was signed by Cerelyan and the leaders of the planet a thousand years ago.

Russell returns to the Enterprise afterwards, and Cerelyan appears on the bridge sitting in the Captain's chair. Travis and Blamire try to remove her without success, Smith returns just then and confirms the language of the contract as well as Cerelyan's claim to the planet, including anything in orbit, including the Erebus.

Later, in a meeting with the senior staff, Russell expresses his belief that she is a con-artist and points out that all of her "powers" can be recreated with theatrically delivered technology. After the meeting, Russell goes to bed for the evening. As Russell sleeps, Cerelyan appears and tries to seduce him but he rejects her (despite obviously finding her extremely attractive). She transports him to the planet dressed in his pyjamas. Sanford comes to collect Russell by shuttle after Scotty is unable to transport him back the normal way. When Russell and Sanford attempt to return to the Erebus, the ship disappears. Not knowing what to do, they return to the planet.

Citing old legal precedent, Russell calls for a Venexian arbitration hearing, which Cerelyan agrees to as long as Sanford acts as the arbitrator, as he will act with impartiality, to which Russell agrees. During the course of the hearing, Scotty and Smith discover that Cerelyan has a cloaked ship nearby, that she is indeed using technology to simulate magic, and that she is a known criminal.

Russell has a security detail under Travis’ command take control of Cerelyan's ship, giving Russell control of Cerelyan's "powers". He demonstrates the fraud and she is taken into custody by local authorities. Russell and Clarke explain to the leader of the planet that the people themselves improved their planet gradually through hard work and dedication.

 

[Lindseyman]

A Stitch in Time Broadcast the week beginning Sat 14th February 1970

Mission date 1598.5 the Erebus has been ordered to the Marshall system to investigate the scientific base on Marshall IV. There are two reasons for this, firstly communications with the base have become very irregular and secondly two security men from the base, with previously impeccable records, have been found trying to break into the DTI facility under the Tower of London. On questioning the two men had absolutely no recollection of how they got there and why they were attempting to break in. The DTI is also worried as although the facility now only stores objects whose technology is at a par with or less advanced than that of the Commonwealth, it is their provenance that would cause problems if released to the general public.

As the “geology” of Marshall IV makes beaming in inadvisable. Sanford, Travis and Smith have taken the Newton and flown down to the base. As Newton is making the final approach to the base’s landing pad Travis has to swerve to avoid a dog. He doesn’t crash the Newton but the landing is much heavier than normal. The chronometer stops just before 11 o’clock. A little shaken but otherwise unharmed the three get out of the Newton and head towards the base. They enter the base but find it seemingly deserted. The rec room shows signs of people but is also empty. They do not yet notice that the clock has stopped at 11 and the fish in the tank have frozen still. The other rooms and buildings of the base are empty. Seeing the name Commander James Adam, an old colleague of Travis on the duty roster, they visit his quarters and also find it empty.

Looking around outside, they find a cat alive but unconscious. The three separate and investigate the base further. Sanford discovers the body of a security man in the area given over to vegetables as a deafening shrill noise and quake shakes through the base. When the noise eventually stops, Travis returns to the rec room to get himself a drink, whereupon he discovers the frozen fish and stopped clock. A dog enters which belongs to one of the scientists and leads Travis outside. A noise distracts him and he is hit from behind and collapses to the ground.

The scene then returns to the Newton, Sanford and Smith emerge from it as if the crash had just happened. They returns to the base and finds the rec room bustling with activity; they are greeted by warmly by Commander Adam (guest star Gerald Harper). Going outside Sanford discovers the dog who leads him to where he had previously found the security guard. Meanwhile Smith investigates the clinic. He overpowers a guard and discovers Travis tied up and unable to recall anything since the accident. Looking at the equipment, Smith surmises that the people in the base had been hypnotized and programmed to potentially create sabotage. As Smith plays with an ultrasonic device the people in the lounge hear the shrill deafening noise over the speakers as Smith and Travis realize that is what has happened. Adam and one of the bases security men come into the clinic shepherding Sanford in front of them. They reveal a plan to auction off the hypnotically programmed base personnel to the highest bidder. The attempt on the DTI facility was a test run to see if the process worked.

Just as Adam is about to similarly hypnotise the three of them. Russell, Blamire and a full security team beam into the clinic despite the dangers and overcome the base personnel. They risked it because Erebus had lost contact with the three of them and Commander Adam had denied all knowledge of their arrival despite the Newton being clearly visible on the Erebus’ scanners!

Russell contacts the Fleet and awaits the arrival of another ship which will take charge of the situation.

 

[Lindseyman]

Mudd in your eye Broadcast Week beginning Sat 21st February 1970

Mission date 1607.2 the Erebus is docked at CSS Versailles to replenish supplies. Whilst there Scotty meets an old friend in the Customs and Excise division of the Navy Captain Nathanial Reynolds (guest star Shane Rimmer). Reynolds has been transferred to Customs and Excise as he still hasn’t recovered from the death of his brother over a year before. Much to his surprise he has found the job very satisfying as it does require more than just pushing paper. He has spent the last few months trying to nail the local representatives of the Santrynnianne Organisation an efficiently run criminal group with fingers in many areas but especially smuggling goods such as Buchbiar a Tellurian lager type drink which is 10% proof and has a hefty excise duty if imported legally.

Reynolds thinks that he is making progress but he can never get the evidence that he needs to get a successful prosecution against any of the group. Russell commiserates with him ironically over a glass of Buchbiar! Whilst returning to the Erebus, just a little the worse for wear, Scotty pulls up short. He is absolutely certain that he heard a familiar voice, one which should be safely incarcerated in a Commonwealth prison. Peering round the corner he spies the speaker. It is indeed someone he knows it is Harry Mudd (special guest star George Cole) who is busy arguing with a couple of local thugs.

Scotty is about to leave well alone when one of the thugs draws a knife and lunges at Harry. The thug manages to wound Harry so Scotty, after contacting the Erebus, wades in. He and Harry are getting the worse of the engagement when Blamire appears with a couple of security men and the thugs make a fast exit. Whilst loudly protesting about unlawful arrest Harry allows himself to be beamed on board the Erebus.

Harry thanks Scotty and Blamire for rescuing him but won’t admit how he managed to escape prison or what he is doing on the Versailles although Russell has a good idea! S’tarr gives him a check-up and surreptitiously implants a tracking device. Harry, much to his surprise is then allowed to leave and go back to the Versailles. After a day of apparent aimless wandering Harry makes contact with Malcolm Gillespie (guest star Moray Watson) whom Reynolds strongly suspects to be the local leader of the Santrynnianne Organisation. After the meeting both go their separate ways but in the next 4 hours both leave the Versailles on board Gillespie’s own ship. Although it takes a rather circuitous route it stops near the jump point where a rather decrepit Tellurian vessel appears and joins it. There is quite a bit of comm traffic between them but Scotty detects energy consistent with material being beamed between the ships.

Reynolds gives chase in his vessel the CSS Elliott Ness and manages to capture the ship which has both Gillespie and Mudd on board. The Tellurian vessel managed to give him the slip but it wasn’t good enough to escape the Erebus which took it in tow with a tractor beam. When they rendezvoused with the Ness, Reynolds looks rather shamefaced. There had been scuffles with Gillespie’s crew and in the fracas Harry Mudd had managed to beam himself and a good three quarters of the Buchbiar on board his ship, which had been hidden behind an asteroid near the jump point, and made good his escape. However he had more than enough evidence against Gillespie who was turning the air blue with his descriptions of what he would do to Harry Mudd if he ever met him again!

This was the first time that Russell had encountered Harry Mudd and he had never quite believed the stories which the old Endeavour hands had told him about the scoundrel. Now he’s not so sure that they weren’t underselling him! Just before they reach the Versailles, the Tellurian ship in tow with its captain strenuously denying everything and demanding to see a Tellurian representative the Erebus receives a signal from Harry Mudd. It contains all the evidence required to shut down all of Gillespie’s operations. Apparently he had been raking off too much for himself and the Santrynnianne Organisation had sent Harry to set him up!

Scotty and Blamire shake their heads in disbelief

“There’s more to that man than meets the eye!”

 

[Lindseyman]

Legends Broadcast Week beginning Sat 28th February 1970

Mission date 1687.4 as the Erebus is about to make a jump to the Tsiolkovsky system Russell receives a priority one signal from Admiral Pike (guest star Christopher Plummer). Pike asks Russell to jump to a set of coordinates which is well within the old Rhihannaun Empire. When asked why Pike says that it was because of a request from a trusted comrade. He would much rather have sent either Spock or Braun, because they both know and trust this comrade, but they were unavailable. Russell is surprised at this but Pike says that his being third choice is not a slur on him but a recognition by this comrade that he can be trusted.

Intrigued Russell orders D’Alembert and Rafiq to make the jump to the given coordinates. When they arrive they find a system that is similar to that of the Klingon Home world. They approach the system’s fourth planet which is habitable. To their surprise they find a Klingon ship the IKS M’ouk already in orbit. The M’ouk hails them and Quos (special guest star Earl Cameron) welcomes Russell. Quos asks Russell and a science team to meet him at a specific location on the planet’s surface.

Arriving at the specified location, Russell, Smith, Blamire and a science team meet Quos and a Klingon team. Quos takes Russell to one side and says that they need the Commonwealth’s help. They have made a discovery that could rock Klingon Society to its core! The team from the Erebus follow the Klingons down a tunnel and into a large chamber. In the chamber there is an opaque stasis tube which has an inscription carved into a plinth beneath it. Smith hesitantly translates this inscription as reading

“Here lies the founder of the Klingon Empire for all time”

One of the Klingon’s snorts and says to Quos only a Whiteskin could mangle the translation so! This Klingon G’ronn (guest star Norman Beaton) offers his translation which goes

“Here is the resting place of the founder of the Klingon Empire until he is needed again.”

Now thoroughly puzzled, Russell turns to Quos and asks why this should rock Klingon Society. After all they have been searching for kh’Less’ final resting place for millennia.

Quos looks at G’ronn obliquely, sighs, shrugs and says that they’ll see in about five minutes. The stasis field loses its opaqueness at the same time every day for a short period of time.

After five minutes the stasis field indeed starts to clear. Through the clearing haze Russell and the others see a large human wearing archaic Klingon clothing with a Klingon bladed weapon in his gauntleted hands. The haze is clearing from his feet upwards and they begin to see his face. Suddenly Russell understands the problem with which Quos and G’ronn are wrestling. kh’Less does not look like a Klingon. He is Middle Eastern in appearance!

Smith rather tactlessly exclaims

“kh’Less is a whiteskin!”

G’ronn starts to advance on Smith with murder in his eyes. Smith then unknowingly saves himself by continuing

“No wonder this is a problem it’s as if we found King Arthur and he turned out to be black.”

G’ronn stops and looks puzzled

“King Arfurr?”

Smith looks at him

“Oh a legendary leader of the British against invaders. He’s supposed to return in the hour of Britain’s greatest need. He still hasn’t turned up.”

G’ronn looks surprised

“But that’s our legend about Kh’Less.”

Russell nods

“It’s common in many Earth cultures, Tellurian as well. It seems to be a standard Human need to believe that a great leader will return.”

Russell then turns to Quos

“Why did you ask us here? You could have just claimed not to have found anything. No one would have been any the wiser, it would have just been one more wild goose chase.”

“Because we were not the first.” replies Quos.

“A team from the University of K’amjee reported this discovery to the Klingon authorities although they mentioned nothing about the colour of his skin. If you read the legends in a particular way then this is not impossible. However the vast majority of our population believe him to be the same as us in all ways. Certainly this has been the case in this pass of history. That damn probe and its side effects when resetting history has made this discovery political dynamite. It could spark civil war.”

Russell frowns

“But still why involve us?”

It is G’ronn who answers

“Because of the information in the other inscription.”

G’ronn leads them around the stasis tube and shows them another plaque.
This time Smith just asks G’ronn to translate it. G’ronn reads

“When He does, He will free all the people of He’af.”

Quos adds

“He’af is the legendary original home of the Klingons. It is also how Earth translates in this archaic form of Klingon!”

To be continued

 

[viewcode]

I have nominated An Alternate Trek for a Turtledove. If anybody wishes to second that nomination, the nominations thread is here

 

[Lindseyman]

Re:Nomination for Turtledove

Thank you Viewcode. It is much appreciated.
Any one out there willing to second it (less than a day to go)?
Also all comments still welcomed. They seem to have dried up recently.

 

[Lindseyman]

Meanwhile in another continuity

Matters were being firmed up for the American Version of Star Trek.

1. The producer had been confirmed as being Bruce Lansbury.

2. The Chief Scriptwriter was to be Gene Coon, although there was to be a team of regular contributors.

3. William Shatner’s Captain had been renamed again now as James Hunter

4. Leonard Nimoy’s Spock would look very like Stuart Damon’s although he would include a more logical personality (basically this version of Spock would be an amalgam of Braun and Spock from the ITC version or in other words very similar to the OTL Spock!).

5. Other cast choices so far included De Forest Kelley as the Doctor (name not yet decided), Tim Matheson was cast as Ensign Jack Crusher who would be at the helm, Clu Gulager was cast as the Chief of Security (name not decided) and George Kennedy would play the Chief Engineer Scott Drake.

6. The uniform was to be very different from the ITC version (it would look very like the uniform from the OTL Star Trek movies from Wrath of Khan onwards) and would be predominantly blue.

7. Filming had started at Paramount and it was expected that the series would air in Fall 1970 or Spring 1971.

 

[Lindseyman]

Myths Broadcast Week beginning Sat 7th March 1970

The episode starts with the edited highlights of the previous episode and then the final scene of that episode.

G’ronn (guest star Norman Beaton) leads them around the stasis tube and shows them another plaque.

This time Smith just asks G’ronn to translate it. G’ronn reads

“When He does, He will free all the people of He’af.”

Quos (guest star Earl Cameron) adds
“He’af is the legendary original home of the Klingons. It is also how Earth translates in this archaic form of Klingon!”

Quos looks at the stunned Erebus crewman and continues

“However it is NOT your Earth. Our legends have He’af in another part of the galaxy. Kh’Less is supposed to have led our people through a tear in space to find Khonnos and the stars were completely different. We don’t need a tear to reach your home world and the stars although shifted are still the same as in our skies!”

Russell groans

“Yet another Earth! How many are there?”

Smith answers

“Well we now know of at least four, ours, Tellus, the one which sent the probe to Venexia, and the one which Pelham Knorr came from. There is also Gemini III whose system is a twin to ours although we still don’t know what they called their planet.”

Quos then adds

“There is at least one more. The one that fought the Time War with the Guardian’s people and if he and Magister were correct and there have been about a hundred passes of history caused by the probe then there are many more scattered around the universe. Any one of them could be He’af.”

Unusually it is Blamire who speaks next

“Permission to speak Sir”

Quos and G’ronn look surprised, it is Smith who whispers to them

“Blamire sticks to an old army tradition. NCO’s ask permission from their Officer before speaking. Mind you whatever his point it will be a good one.”

Having received Russell’s permission Blamire continues

“This planet is in the middle of the old Rhihannaun Empire. We passed through what must have been one of their bases getting to this place. How come they never discovered it? If they had then they would have used this (here he indicates the stasis tube containing kh’Less) to ferment civil war amongst the Klingons. They would not have let such an opportunity go to waste. This looks like a trap.”

Quos nods

“You make a good point. This must have been here for several passes of history. At some point it should have been discovered and you are right if the Rhihannaun had discovered it they would have used it as you suggested. As to its being a trap who set it? The Rhihannaun have vanished since the probe passed through their territory. We have explored their old Empire thoroughly. All we have found are a few colony worlds struggling to survive.”

Just then Sanford on board the Erebus signals Russell

“Sir, there are very unusual energy emissions coming from the jump point. They’re like nothing that has been ever recorded before. I suggest that you beam back and the Klingons also return to the M’ouk.”

Quos signals the M’ouk and hears that his ship has also detected these emissions. The landing parties beam back to their respective ships.

Just as Russell gets back to the bridge of the Erebus, there is a massive energy surge which knocks the Erebus and M’ouk about like small boats caught in a hurricane. When the bridge crew recover their positions and get the sensors back on line they discover that there is a massive armada of ships of unknown origin in the system.

To be continued

 

[Lindseyman]

A plea for help

I would really appreciate some input on the NBC version of Star Trek ITTL.
My thoughts are in posts 329 and 353 but I really do not know enough about US Television at this time to know if these are reasonable or not.

So please if you have any thoughts about casting (For example I seem to have ended up with the same "Big Three" as OTL through sheer inertia and/or lack of imagination) and which episodes from the ITC Star Trek would be rewritten for the US version let me know either by PM or posting here.

It's a pain as I have the ITC Star Trek mapped out, I know where I want to go with ITTL Dr Who but this American version has me stumped

(Mind you I have this recurring vision/nightmare of a film version of the ITC Star Trek being a Will Smith vehicle in the late 00s or early 10s)

 

[Lindseyman]

The Beginning of the End Broadcast Week beginning Sat 14th March 1970

Mission date 1689.2 the Erebus and M’ouk are scanned by the armada of ships which has just appeared at the jump point. Much to their surprise they are then left alone. The only time that the armada takes any action against them is when they attempt to reach the jump point. Then shots from immensely powerful phasers (which a shocked Scotty announces would tear through the shields of both ships as if they were tissue paper) are fired across their bows and they are shepherded back to the planet.

The armada does not respond to any hails and both Quos and Russell are getting increasingly frustrated. Finally however they are both hailed by one of the ships. To their shock they are greeted by a view of a bridge which seems to be manned by humans, Klingons, Vulcanians and Andorians. The Commander of the ship who introduces himself as the Emperor Augustus (special guest star Stephen Boyd) demands their immediate surrender and also that they pledge loyalty to him.

Russell meets this demand with incredulity. A momentary spasm of rage crosses the Emperor’s face but then he resumes his previous appearance of affability.

“Your loyalty to your current leaders does you credit. However before long you along with the rest of your peoples will soon accept me as your ruler.”

Russell questions why that should be so.

“I am the Victor of the Time War!”

“The What?”

“Surely you cannot have forgotten? The Great War to free us all from the oppression of the Time Guardians!”

Then an aide whispers something in the Emperor’s ear. They hear an exclamation of “How long?” Then the transmission is cut off.

Russell turns to his bridge crew

“Comments?”

Scotty is the first to answer

“I don’t know whether his claim is true or not. Certainly the being we know as the Guardian spoke of a Time War fought against Humans many millennia ago. How long is moot due to the probe. In any case that Armada could conquer the galaxy with ease. Our defences would be unable to cope with the power that even the smallest ships over there are capable of generating (here Scotty waves in the general direction of the Armada).”

Smith then adds

“However they obviously fled the probe which we managed to destroy. That might just be, however, a function of how far in time they were from the probe’s original launch.”

Just then the transmission is resumed. The Emperor faces them again.

“Well it would appear that I have been away longer than I was originally told. It would seem that you and your people will need a demonstration of my power. It shall be provided.”

The transmission is again cut off and the armada disappears.

There is a sound of strangled dismay from Scotty.

“They have warp drives powerful enough to travel between stars! They make the most optimistic predictions made after the discoveries made on Gemini III look like vast underestimates of their potential!”

Quos on the M’ouk is equally pessimistic.

“I can’t see how we can stand against him and expect to win. However that doesn’t matter. Stand against him we must if we are to retain our honour!”

Just then they receive another transmission but this one comes from the planet’s surface. The screen shows kh’Less out of the stasis tube.

“Well it seems that you need me.”

 

[Lindseyman]

The Fall of the Commonwealth Broadcast Week Beginning Sat 21st March 1970

Mission date 2108.5 on the Erebus, Russell is reviewing the latest news with his senior staff. It is 6 months since the emergence of the Emperor Augustus and his fleet. It is a 6 months that has gone very badly for the Commonwealth, and both the Klingon and Tellurian Empires. World after world has fallen to the Imperial Fleet including Tellus, Andor and Vulcanis.

Defence of any world has been all but impossible, the Imperial Fleet has warp engines powerful enough to travel between the stars so the defence tactics worked out against fleets which have to use jump points have been rendered obsolete. The Imperial Fleet’s weaponry is several orders of magnitude greater than that of the fleets opposing them making any engagements very one sided. Also any world which is occupied becomes fanatically loyal to the Emperor after only a few weeks.

Neither the Commonwealth nor the Klingon Empire know what causes this wholesale switch of loyalty but it has rendered them, but especially the Commonwealth, all but defenceless against the Empire since the Andorians and Vulcanians know all the strengths and weaknesses of the Commonwealth forces and a great deal about the Klingons.

The Klingons have fared better than the Commonwealth as the returned kh’Less, who has been reinstated as the Klingon Emperor, does know many ways to combat the Imperials. This knowledge has been shared with the Commonwealth and the Free Tellurian forces enabling some more effective resistance but it has not reversed the onward march of the Imperial forces.
Some worlds have been ignored by the Imperials including surprisingly both kh’Onnos and Earth. The Chiefs of Staff and remaining Politicians cannot explain this as certainly with the fall of Andor and Vulcanis the Imperials know exactly where both are and they still lead the resistance to Imperial subjugation of this part of the galaxy.

Not everything has gone badly for the Commonwealth. The command crew briefing is coming to a close when Scotty is contacted by O’Gorman (guest star Milo O’Shea). Scotty’s face immediately breaks out into a broad grin and unusually for him he punches the air. Intrigued Russell asks him why the celebration.

“We’ve finally cracked the warp drive problem. Like the Imperials we no longer depend on jump points. Using the data found on Gemini III O’Gorman has found a way to tie the energies produced by the jump engines into the warp drive making them powerful enough to travel between the stars! We won’t be as fast as the Imperials but it’s a start.”

Russell and Sanford also grin with relief.

“We won’t be holding our breath every time we use a jump point any longer” says Sanford “It didn’t take the Imperials long to mount defences at the jump points of occupied systems despite their apparent unfamiliarity with that method of travelling between stars.”

Scotty nods

“Yes, it seems that they never had to use jump points as their warp drives were already powerful enough. However those Andorian and Vulcanian traitors soon told them enough about it….”

Scotty breaks off on seeing S’tarr and apologises
S’tarr waves his apology away.

“Don’t worry. Those of us still loyal to the Commonwealth are at a loss to explain their conversion to the Imperial cause. It is unprecedented in our history although there are legends about such mass conversions but that’s what we thought they were, legends, it would seem not!”

Just then Russell receives a priority signal. However it has not come from Earth! It is Admiral Pike (guest star Christopher Plummer) on board the CSS Aurora.

“Russell, proceed immediately to these coordinates. An Imperial Fleet has entered the Solar System, maintain comms silence and ignore any subsequent transmissions from Fleet or Navy Headquarters. As once Earth falls we know, unfortunately, what happens. Pike out.”

Russell looks at the coordinates in some bemusement

“Why here, I wonder? This point has neither strategic nor tactical value. ”

Scotty looks at them

“That’s the Guardian’s planet!”

NOTE: this was a “bottle” episode showing the reaction of the Erebus’ crew as the news reaches them. It also shows the deterioration of the Erebus as time passes and emergency repairs have to be made.

 

[Lindseyman]

Finis Broadcast Sat 28th March 1970

Mission date 2129.3 the Erebus finally arrives at the Guardian’s planet. They have used Scotty’s modified warp engines to travel to the system rather than use jump points so as to try and minimise the chances of them being spotted by Imperial forces. It seems to have worked but as they are approaching the planet they are hailed by the Aurora.

Commander Stiles (guest star Edward Woodward) greets them

“It’s just as well that you don’t look like any Imperial ship or we would have attempted to destroy you at first sight. How on earth have you got interstellar warp drive?”

Stiles then pauses and continues with a grin

“It’s Scotty and O’Gorman isn’t it. I should have known that if anyone could get them it would have been those two. I worked with them long enough! The problem has been driving our chief engineer out of her mind and she’s nearly as good as Scotty.
Any way to business we are to meet at these coordinates on the planet’s surface in 2 hours.”

With that Stiles ends his transmission.

As they achieve orbit they scan the CSS Aurora, the CSS S’Tonn, the KSS Revanche and the CSS Indomitable already in orbit.
Two hours later Russell, Sanford, Scotty and Blamire (acting as security not that he’s really needed but protocol is protocol!) beam down to the given coordinates. They are joined by Admiral Pike (guest star Christopher Plummer), Captain Braun (guest star Sian Phillips) and Stiles from the Aurora, Captain Spock (guest star Stuart Damon) and Ambassador Savek (guest star Anthony Quayle) from the S’tonn, Admiral Amhain (guest star Robert Vaughn) and Captain Athair (guest star James Earl Jones) from the Indomitable (a navy ship) and finally Admiral Willenbrock (guest star Patrick Macnee) and Captain Voster (guest star Michael Billington) from the Revanche. They are greeted by a tall saturnine figure Magister (guest star Christopher Lee) and taken to meet the Guardian.

The Guardian who is hooded and cloaked so that they cannot see his face welcomes them and tells them that the galaxy is at a cross roads. The Empire led by Augustus is indeed the force that defeated his people in the Time War. He was only stopped by the first arrival of the probe. There is nothing that can stop him now in the galaxy.

Scotty asks

“What about the Organians?”

The Guardian shrugs

“They would just see him as a fleeting presence and they didn’t interfere the first time. So I doubt that they will this time either!”

It is Sanford who asks the obvious question

“Well if Augustus is so unstoppable what are we doing here?”

It is Magister who answers

“He is unstoppable now, but if we can prevent his fleet from emerging in the first place...”

“Just how are we to do that?” asks Voster

“If you can explode a powerful enough device in the jump point at the instant he reappears then the point will collapse and he will be trapped in the void in which he hid for all eternity.” replies Magister

The Guardian then adds

“However whoever creates the explosion will not survive!”

It is Spock who whilst looking at his grandfather states

“Well they will in a way as they will have to have gone back in time to that instant, their previous selves will continue along the new timeline. However whilst we might manage to get back to roughly the right time using a controlled version of what sent the Endeavour back to the 1960s we cannot control it enough to guarantee this.”

The Guardian chuckles

“Indeed you can’t, but I can. My people controlled time I can deliver one ship to exactly the right point in time but only at the jump point not from here.”

Amhain explodes

“And just how are we to get back to that point. We would have to fight our way through virtually every jump…..” he tails off and looks at Russell.

Russell nods in acknowledgement

“It has to be the Erebus, we can travel between the stars using warp drive given Scotty’s and O’Gorman’s modifications. However Augustus isn’t stupid he’ll figure out what’s happening and try to stop us.”

Suddenly a new voice breaks in

“Why, thank you for that kind comment it is much appreciated. I’ll be joining you shortly. You didn’t think that I wouldn’t remember this place did you? After all my fleet did lay it waste at the end of the Time War!” (Voice of Stephen Boyd as the Emperor Augustus).

The Guardian stands up

“We must hurry if we are to achieve this before he arrives here. He looks at the assembled Commanders. I have to ask you to buy the Erebus enough time to escape this system. It is a task in which you won’t survive and if you do you (or at least the present you) will never know if we succeed.”

Amhain and Willenbrock salute Russell and Willenbrock says

“It will be our honour to do this. Now get going.”

Pike adds

“I’m coming as well.”

The Erebus crew plus Pike beam back and shortly afterwards the Guardian joins them. There is a massive Imperial fleet within the system and the other ships provide covering fire as the Erebus flees the system. They see the S’tonn destroyed in the first skirmish and the Revanche shortly afterwards. However the Erebus does make it out of the system but it is being pursued by several Imperial ships including the largest.

This ship hails them. They see the Emperor Augustus who tells them

“You will not succeed. You cannot outrun my ships even with your improved warp drive. The men who created that have my admiration they will make a fine addition to my service.”

Russell does not answer but orders Rafiq and D’Alembert to try and shake the pursuers. There then follows several hours of cat and mouse as the Erebus tries to shake off the Imperial ships. Gradually they lose all but the ship carrying the Emperor. However in doing so they pass very close to an isolated system. Suddenly they are brought to a standstill as is the Imperial ship.

A voice echoes through the bridge

“Now what is going on here?”

Pike starts

“Eisen?”

“Hello Captain, no sorry Admiral. So you do remember me!” (Voice of Ian McKellen).

“As it’s you, I feel in the mood to help you. Now get going before I change my mind. I’m not sure that I can hold this fellow for very long. He’s nearly as powerful as me.”

The Erebus suddenly is thrown out of the system and when they regain control they are back at the system where they discovered kh’Less and the Imperial fleet reappeared.

The Guardian produces some equipment and there is a jarring discontinuity.

The Guardian looks up and orders

“Enter the jump point…NOW”

They do as they are asked and see in front of them the Imperial fleet. The Guardian and Scotty do something with the Erebus’s power systems and they start overloading.

They are hailed by the Emperor

“Just what do you think that you are doing? GET OUT OF MY WAY!”

Russell looks at Scotty who nods

“Ave Caesar. Morituri te salutant”

We see the Emperor scream

“NOOOO!”

There is a blinding white flash.

 

[Petike]

Out of curiosity: Did Cyril Cusack ever get a role in this ATL Trek ? Say, as a guest star.

 

[Lindseyman]

Out of curiosity: Did Cyril Cusack ever get a role in this ATL Trek ? Say, as a guest star.

He did in episode 19 of series 1 "Old Wounds" (post 150)